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davidtan's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
khaufnaak's review against another edition
4.0
I am a bit twisted over this story. On one hand, I LOVE it, am OBSESSED with it. PKDs world building is always marvellous! You have this futuristic (now historical, considering it’s stationed in ~2016) world, climate change, people who can tell the future but it’s like a biological thing, you got people getting therapy to get more evolved, but somehow, the crux of the story is a turf war between two drug businesses! The actually implications of this conflict, I will not disclose, for the sake of any potential readers. PKD does such a great job of exploring really monumental existential questions throughout his stories through what seems like business conflict!
Now, why I am twisted. I am a woman of faith, a bit like some of the fanatical yet conflicted religious character(s) in this story. After a particular sex scene in this story, I had to put it down for a good few days because I was so jarred by it (I tried to just flip over the pages but I just did not know when it would end!) On the other hand, there are some blasphem-ish points here and there, but perhaps there’s actually useful commentary on religion! I don’t know, I might ruminate on it a bit.
I would still recommend this book, knowing that a lot of people are not sensitive in the way I am. PKDs writing is fantastic, I can’t imagine how someone can come up with such interesting descriptions of these altered states of consciousness, reality shifting and overlapping and oh wow! Just wow, I can’t put into words how well written it is.
Now, why I am twisted. I am a woman of faith, a bit like some of the fanatical yet conflicted religious character(s) in this story. After a particular sex scene in this story, I had to put it down for a good few days because I was so jarred by it (I tried to just flip over the pages but I just did not know when it would end!) On the other hand, there are some blasphem-ish points here and there, but perhaps there’s actually useful commentary on religion! I don’t know, I might ruminate on it a bit.
I would still recommend this book, knowing that a lot of people are not sensitive in the way I am. PKDs writing is fantastic, I can’t imagine how someone can come up with such interesting descriptions of these altered states of consciousness, reality shifting and overlapping and oh wow! Just wow, I can’t put into words how well written it is.
cachka's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
nebulous_tide's review against another edition
4.0
Tagged for potential spoilers because of the last paragraph.
At first, I couldn’t get into this. It felt dated. Then I remembered it was written before the Internet, and gave it some slack… then I was drawn in heavily. There are so many ideas here - too many. It’s an insanely good sci fi tale. But it felt like a story in several parts, and thus somewhat disjointed. The pace is all over the place, with some key concepts glossed over and some mundane interactions laboured.
I now feel like so many modern stories could be based on this. Examples include: The Expanse, Lucy, The Matrix, Inception. The book feels like a religious struggle at points. For better or worse, the more modern interpretations focus much less on the dogma and more on the practical implications. In particular, several Black Mirror episodes go hard on the core idea explored in this book: Simulation Theory.
At first, I couldn’t get into this. It felt dated. Then I remembered it was written before the Internet, and gave it some slack… then I was drawn in heavily. There are so many ideas here - too many. It’s an insanely good sci fi tale. But it felt like a story in several parts, and thus somewhat disjointed. The pace is all over the place, with some key concepts glossed over and some mundane interactions laboured.
I now feel like so many modern stories could be based on this. Examples include: The Expanse, Lucy, The Matrix, Inception. The book feels like a religious struggle at points. For better or worse, the more modern interpretations focus much less on the dogma and more on the practical implications. In particular, several Black Mirror episodes go hard on the core idea explored in this book: Simulation Theory.
jessidee's review against another edition
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
robfarren's review against another edition
5.0
This is the one John Lennon wanted to make a movie of...pretty cool.
libellum_aphrodite's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely inhaled this book. Totally mindbending.
hakimbriki's review against another edition
3.0
Although I understand what the author was conveying, and appreciate it muchly, I was let down by The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch. The main characters are painfully one-dimensional, somewhat obnoxious, predictable, and stale. I didn't really care what happened to any of them. Pathos black hole! This truly is a shame because plotwise, the book is certainly one of PKD's strongest and deepest efforts. It's very philosophical, intriguing throughout, and allegorical. I would love to see David Lynch or Alejandro Jodorowski adapt it.
jmcook's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5